Feeding subassembly(with content) — per-unit detail: mount plate, 90° entry tube, straight tube, spring guide, sync spring; 8 CAD views and colour key.
Feeder body(with content) — shell/lid/bracing; rotates on hinge for access and washdown/CIP.
Entry tubes(with content) — adjustable-height, removable tubes connecting upstream lines to each feeding unit.
Introduction
Top-level fruit intake system: feeder body, brace, feeding subassembly, and entry tubes. The feeder body rotates on the feeder hinge for access and CIP.
Feeder body — orange-tan base; rotates on feeder hinge for access/CIP
Brace — dark green + light blue; welded to lid, supports system
Feeding subassembly — one per station; curved tube, sync springs, mount plate, 90° tube
Entry tubes — light yellow; guide fruit into each feeding subassembly
Top-level feeder views
CAD views showing feeder body, brace, feeding subassembly, and entry tubes. Refer to Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.
Figure 1. Top-level — feeder body (orange-tan), lime green feeding subassembly, light yellow entry tubes, dark green and light blue brace, magenta base.
Add figure: Helical conveyor interface — infeed height to feeder base (if not obvious in gallery).
Add figure: Open-hinge service — feeder body swing clearance for CIP and tube removal.
Discussion
Rough design & intent
System goal — Release one orange per cycle into each extraction station.
Flow sequence — Upstream sorter/lines → adjustable entry tubes → 90° tube → orange rests on sync spring while a column stacks above → pusher opens spring during compression to drop one orange onto fruit support → spring closes on return stroke to hold the next orange while the staged orange drops into the peelers.
Modularity — Feeding subassembly tubes are riveted to a mount plate and the mount plate is riveted to the feeder body so modules can be swapped/iterated by drilling out rivets.
Known issues & risks
Jams / double-drop — Sync spring must reliably gate a fruit column and release only one orange at a time without wedging.
Collision envelope — Fruit support and pusher must never collide with entry tubes/90° tubes; pusher lateral flex can cause catastrophic collisions with tubes/lids.
Washdown — This region is in/near splash zone; edges and joints must be cleanable and safe to handle.
DFM & manufacturing (China)
Tube standards — Feeding subassembly uses 3″ NPS / DN90 Sch 5S as a baseline; contractor may choose China-available equivalents that preserve function and cleanability.
Hinge/pins — Entry tube adjustability relies on pinned joints; contractor to propose robust hardware and anti-loosening.
CIP nozzle integration — 90° tube includes a port/tube for a nozzle to spray down the entry/spring zone; nozzle and mounting details TBD.
Questions for contractor
Validate the sync spring gating concept for reliable one-at-a-time release (fruit size range, friction, jam/double-drop failure modes) and propose improvements.
Propose tube/hinge/pin designs that are adjustable, rigid when locked, and fast to disassemble for seasonal maintenance.
Propose a CIP nozzle placement and cleaning strategy for the entry tube and spring region (spray direction, drain paths, avoiding dead zones).
Subassemblies
Feeding subassembly — mount plate, flanged 90° entry tube, straight tube and spring guide, sync spring (8 CAD views, colour key, parameters).
